Mirkazım Seyidov: “There is simply no alternative to president Aliyev!”

The member of the Union of journalists of Azerbaijan and Russia Mirkazim Seyidov actively works today in Council of the press of Zardabi, engaged in public work in the sphere of strengthening of the relations of Russia and the Turkic-speaking states. At our request he told, what situation is in the republic before an election of the president of Azerbaijan which will take place in October:

- Elections are very important event in political life of any democratic state, especially, presidential elections. The republic Azerbaijan is not an exception in this sense. Our country achieved much in recent years which after disorder of the Soviet Union already 20 years is in the way of the independent development. It is noted by all who comes to us. It is the matter of successes on the international scene and about unprecedented earlier rates of housing construction, high rates in economy to which other former federal republics can envy.

It is natural that citizens are interested in the question: how to keep such rates of development? And they have to give the answer on elections.

- The favourite, of course, is Ilham Aliyev?

- Ilham Aliyev is 10 years in power and a lot of things changed in life of Azerbaijan to the best. The one who wasn't all these years in the country, and now suddenly would appear in Azerbaijan, simply wouldn't recognize the country: so it changed!

Ilham Aliyev continued the work of the father – our national leader Heydar Aliyev. Azerbaijanians well remember how in 2003, being on treatment in clinic in the USA, Heydar Aliyev addressed to the people with the address. He told that didn't manage to make everything that conceived for the country benefit, but is sure that his son Ilham Aliyev will be able to accept relay in the hands. And the people supported this address of the leader!

Well, he wasn't mistaken in the choice: Ilham Aliyev managed to lift the republic in a decade in every respect. Naturally, he intends to continue the work and relies on support of citizens.

- Is it true that the incumbent president decided not to conduct the election campaign?

It is exactly so. His affairs will tell better than any words. The president is sure that during the pre-election period it isn't necessary to stir as it is done by other politicians, but it is necessary to concentrate on performance of the duties and to achieve new successes.

I will add that actually there is no alternative to Ilham Aliyev simply! And any responsible politician has to recognize it.

- But hardly those who intend to propose the candidature will agree with you.

- Also will disagree not only applicants, but also the whole our radical opposition. I think that it is necessary to tell about it in more detail. There was already certain practice in this camp for last 20 years – they seek to organize the shocks and to cause chaos in the republic that having seized the moment, to come to the power.

But who wants to return the power?! It is just those people who already were at the wheel of public administration and put the country on an accident side. The names are always the same there …

The former state secretary Ali Kerimli now leads the party “Popular Front of Azerbaijan”, Iza Gambar who headed the parliament in 1992 — 1993 yaers is now Musavat party leader. Panakh Guseynov was the prime minister of the republic and Iskender Gamidov - the Minister of Internal Affairs in Abulfaz Elchibey's government; today he heads the National Democratic Party. This list can be continued still.

- The opposition decided to unite the forces on presidential election, isn't it?

- It was declared the creation of National council of democratic forces where the representatives of Musavat parties, the Popular front, Civil solidarity, Liberal party, Islamic party of Azerbaijan entered. All of them are united by commitment to political radicalism.

From where it was undertaken? Yes from those times when Abulfaz Elchibey was in power. One year all these people were in power. They made nothing, tried not to allow Heydar Aliyev's returns to the management of the republic only. The result of their board is sad: the country stood on the verge of civil war, 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan were lost! I would like to emphasize here that Russia always faithfully treated the territorial integrity of our state and steadily supported it. Such is a position of all presidents of the Russian Federation.

But we will return to our subject. These figures as a result brought the country to poverty, treasury was plundered, it was impossible to think any development… And in these conditions Heydar Aliyev acted as the saviour of the country! He didn't suit politicians whom I called above. Yet once they tried to seed a distemper in the republic: so was in 1993, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008.

When Ilham Aliyev proposed himself as a candidate for the first time on presidential election in 2003 and surely won, the supporters of shocks declared that their candidate Isa Gambar won still before counting of votes ended! Unless responsible politicians so act?!

- The known person in Russia, the film writer Rustam Ibragimbekov is called as the opposition candidate on presidential election. For many his emergence in policy became big surprise …

- Following the results of National meeting of council of democratic forces, on July 2 Rustam Ibragimbekov was unanimously elected as the candidate from all parties which have united in this council. He is a person already elderly, he is over seventy years old, but known both in Russia and in Azerbaijan. He is a writer, the film writer and the film director. He has honorary titles of the National writer of Azerbaijan, the Honoured worker of arts of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic and the honoured worker of arts of Russia.

In two days after his promotion, Ibragimbekov refused the Russian nationality as according to the republic constitution the president of the Azerbaijan Republic can be elected only its citizen who doesn't have a dual citizenship.

I would like to tell that Rustam Ibragimbekov had close relations with Ilham Aliyev, as well as earlier with his father. Heydar Aliyev always supported the creative people making national elite. And his son arrives in the same way.

I respect Rustam Ibragimbekova as the representative of elite of the republic, but for three years I see that his statements lie now in other sphere – political. He appeared in camp of radical opposition, whose interests don't coincide with interests of the Azerbaijani people that is very sad. Ibragimbekov makes loud statements which, however, don't correspond to a true state of affairs. And, as speak in Russia, further – it is more …

- To what party does the president Ilham Aliyev lean?

- Heydar Aliyev created Yeni Azerbaydzhan party, after his withdrawal from life, the work of the father was continued by Ilham Aliyev who is the chairman of the party. The party totals in the ranks to 700 thousand members; it plays the leading role in political life of Azerbaijan. At parliamentary elections in 1995, 2000 and 2005 “Yeni Azerbaydzhan” received the vast majority in parliament. Now it takes 72 places in Millie Majlis.

But also other parties support the nomination of the incumbent president Ilham Aliyev on elections too, including those who formally belong to oppositional camp.

- Do the elections cause interest in the republic?

- Certainly. It isn't the technical questions, but in preservation of continuity of the course begun by Heydar Aliyev. This course led Azerbaijan to present successes. People see successes in economy, note as the authority of Azerbaijan grows on the international scene. Success of “Eurovision” is the evident evidence to that. It would seem it is necessary to connect efforts and together to achieve new successes, but the radical opposition aspires only to one: the chaos is necessary to it.

Only in that case it expects to come to the power and its chances are equal zero on any democratic elections. It is obvious to any impartial observer.